Chrysanthemum Greens and Tofu Salad (Shungiku Shiraae)

Step 1

Gather all the ingredients. To store the leftover tofu, keep it in an airtight container and pour water until it covers the tofu. Keep in the refrigerator (change the water every day) and use it within a few days.

Step 2

Do not skip this step. You don’t want to drain the water from tofu completely, but it’s important to remove some moisture so the dressing doesn’t get too wet. Wrap the tofu with paper towels. Put the wrapped tofu on a tray or plate. Add another tray or plate on top of the tofu and put a heavy object on top to facilitate draining. Set aside for 20-30 minutes. Alternatively, you can microwave paper-wrapped tofu for 1 minute (1200W).

Step 3

Toast the sesame seeds in a frying pan, shaking the pan frequently, until they are fragrant and start to pop.

Step 4

Transfer to a Japanese mortar (suribachi) and grind the sesame seeds with a pestle (surikogi).

Step 5

Cut off and discard the ends of chrysanthemum leaves. Then cut them into 2-inch (5 cm) pieces. Keep the stems and leafy parts separated.

Step 6

Bring a big pot of water to a boil. Boil the stems for 10-15 seconds to head start the cooking.

Step 7

Then add the stem/leafy middle parts and continue to cook for 5 seconds.

Step 8

Then add the leafy greens and submerge to cook for 5 seconds.

Step 9

Drain or pick up the leaves quickly and shock the greens in ice water. This will bring out the bright green color and stop the leaves from cooking further.

Step 10

Once cooled, squeeze the water out and set it aside.

Step 11

Remove the weight from the tofu and unwrapped the paper towel.

Step 12

Add the tofu to the sesame seeds in the mortar. Using the pestle, mash and grind the tofu until smooth.

Step 13

Add miso, sugar, mirin, soy sauce, and salt and mix all together until incorporated into the tofu. Taste the tofu mixture now and add salt. Make sure it’s a bit more on the saltier side as the greens will be added and dilute the flavor slightly.

Step 14

Add the greens to the tofu mixture and combine well. Once combined, you can chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving, or serve immediately.

Step 15

You can keep it for 24 hours in the refrigerator; however, I recommend consuming it soon.